Means for controlling the flow of gas from a hopper, etc.



Aug. 20, 1940. I 2,212,305-

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE now 015 GAS FROM A HOPPER, ETC

c. B. SCHNEIBLE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 2l, 1938 A g- 1940- 'c. a SCHNEIBLE MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW 0F GAS FROM A HOPPER, ETC

Filed Sept. 21, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Him.

Q T; em 2W 2% he a.

1940- c. B. SCHNEIBLE 2,212,305

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW 0F GAS FROM A HQPPER, ETC

Filed Sept. 21, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 I Patented Aug.20, 1940 YPAT-ENT OFFlCE.

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING FLOW OF GAS FROM A HOPPER, ETC.

Claude B. 'Schneible, Chicago, Ill. Application September 21,1938, Serial No. 231,085

9 Claims.

This invention relates to means for controlling the flow of gas from a hopper or a grate, etc.

The apparatus may be used to shut off one or more of. a series of hoppers or grates not in use,

- at the time, to allow a definite saving in the fan i or suction apparatus horsepower by controlling the flow of gases from said hoppers or grates, such as are used in foundry shake-outs or sand bins, or kindred installations in other fields.

An object of the invention is to provide a means of control of the gas flow as well as a support for the flask or other receptacle used to transport the material to the hopper or grate. The flow of gas is stopped until such time as it is necessary to dump material into the hopper and then opened to allow the flow of gas to carry off any dust'particles, odors or obnoxious fumes that may be liberated during the operationwith- .out the waste of volumes of gases and the horsepower required to do so without this invention. The apparatus does not necessarily have .to be constructed entirely as shown but may be adapted to a hopper or grate previously used.

In installations .now in service, it has been necessary to provide. a large volume of exhaust to meet the requirements, although only one or two of the series of hoppers were in use at one time. This invention allows the use of a smaller unit orthe suction producing apparatus, as well as any other equipment connected thereto, thus effecting a definite saving in installation cost as well as operating cost.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus upon which vessels containing, for example, sand or other material may be placed or shaken to remove it under the influence of suction while at the same time providing means for immediately closing the aperture after the dumping operation. A further object is to provide suction apparatus equipped with means of simple and sturdy construction whereby louvers are effectively employed for controlling agrill or dump opening, means being provided .for maintaining the louvers in closed position. A further object is to provide means whereby a suction casing may be employed to receive material while providing means for closing the casing with a minimum of eifort, resulting in a high economy in the suction-producing mechanism. Other specific objects and advantages will appear. as the specification proceeds.

The invention is illustrated, in a preferred embodiment, by the accompanying drawings, in I which Figure 1 is a side view in elevation of apparatus embodying my invention, the opening: of the casing being shown closed; Fig. 2, a view'similar to Fig. 1 but showing the top opening of :the

casing open; Fig. 3, a broken detail sectional vm view, the sectionbeing taken as indicated iatline 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a broken top plan View; Fig. 5,

a longitudinal sectional view, the section being taken as indicated at line 5 of Fig. 4; and Fig. 6, a plan view of a plurality of hoppers provided with damper controlled section pipes and with louver apparatus embodying myinvention.

In suction apparatus heretofore employed for the dumping of sand and other granular abrasive, it has been common to employ a suction apparatus with an open top and with a grill or network upon which the vessels containing the granular material may rest while the material is shaken out of them. The maintenance of the open top is an expensive operation since the suc- .tion device must be kept operating continuously. In the present apparatus, I provide a casing with an open top but employed with rods which form the grill work upon which the vessels may be dumped, and louvers which turn with the rods and which, when the rods are turned in one position, afford a complete closure for the opening, and when the rods are turned in another position, an open easing, the rods themselves pro- .viding the grill work. Simple means are provided The casing A may be of any suitable construction. In the illustration given, it comprises a rectangular lower member or hopper Ill having inclined walls and being surmounted by a U- beam lower-supporting structure H. A cross beam i2, in the shape of an inverted U-beam, extends across the middle of the casing, as shown more clearly in Figs. 4 and 5. A latch plate I3 is secured to the top of the U-beam frame II, as shown more clearly in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4. The plate is'apertured at Hi. If desired, a further structure may be employed below the frame H] for receiving the sand. It is common to employ a bin having inwardly converging sides providing a discharge over a receptacle or over a conveyor. Since, however, such structure forms no part of the present invention, and since such structure is well known, it is not herein illustrated. Any suitable receiving receptacle or device may be employed.

The louver structure B may be of any suitable construction. In the illustration given, hinge rods i5 have their ends journaled in openings formed within the U-shaped channel frame II, as shown more clearly in Figs. 4 and 5. On the front side, illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, rods [5 on the right side of the structure extend through the members I! a short distance, and to the protruding ends of such rods are fixedly downwardly extending links I8.

, the hinge rod when the rod is manipulated as hereinafter described.

Any suitable means for operating the louvers may be employed; In the illustration given, the mechanism C comprises an actuating lever it equipped with a treadle plate iii, the lower end that the louvers are closed, as illustrated in Figs. ,l. and 5, there is substantially no drain upon the suction mechanism. The louvers are maintained hinge rod 55.

clearly in Fig. 1. sand or granular material into the casing, the operator simply presses the lever i8 toward the.

of the lever it being hingedly connected to a pivot bar 2%. The bar 21B is pivotally carried by a pin 21 which is in turn supported by the casing it. The opposite free end of the pivot lever 29 is pivotally secured to a pair of equalizer links 22.

Pivotally secured between links 22 are links 23 and 25. Link 23 is connected by link 25 directly to the hinge rod 55, while link 2 is connected by link directly to the convenient or adjacent The last mentioned hinge rods 65 are those closely spaced rods in the central portion of the apparatus and they lie directly below the crossbar 52; In order to cause the hinge rods to rotate in unison, I connect the series of links it on each side of the casing with a longitudinally extending link In-order to lock the louvers in closed position, as illustrated in Fig. l, I provide the actuating lever i 8 which extends through opening it of plate is with a locking notch adapted to receive plate I! when the member i8 is depressed.

Any suitable suction device may be employed within the casing A. In the illustration given, I provide a suction pipe 29 provided at its top side with a longitudinal opening it, the opening being disposed below the cross beam 52 and sheltered by the depending louvers ll supported below cross beam l2, particularly when the louvers are in open position, as illustrated more clearly in Fig. 5. The pipe 29 isclosed at the forward end of the casing A but extends through the rear portion of casing A, as shown more clearly in Fig. l. The pipe 28 extends to its suitable source of suction (not shown).

In the structure shown. in Fig. 6, a plurality of hoppers or casings A are shown equipped with louver construction B or" the type already described.

The suction pipes, however, are inclined within the hopper so that the opening in the pipe communicating with the interior of the hopper runs diagonally across the hopper. Through the use of the louver construction and the diagonal arangement shown, an even suction may be maintained along the top of the casing. Dampers 33 are provided for each of the pipes 2? which com-- municate with manifold t l. damper, any of the hoppers can be cut on" from By means of the suction or connected with suction manifold 3 5.

Operation In the operation of the apparatus, assuming in closed position by the latch bar iii, the notch 23 of which engages plate i3, as illustrated more When it is desired to dump the casing so that notch 23 clears and H? to move upwardly. The

right of permits the lever forming a triangular shield over the opening 2'36 of In this arrangement, the

the suction pipe 23. hinge rods it; which extend across the casing at spaced intervals provide a grill upon which the container of the granular material may be bumped and struck in order to free the container of the granular material. After the dumping operation, it is merely necessary for the operator to press the bar 23 downwardly, which he can readily do with his foot, the notch 28 of the bar sliding into engagement with the plate 53 and forming a latch therewith. In this operation,

the outer end of pivot bar 29 moves upwardly causing the links "22, 23, 2d, 25 and 2G to-likewise move upwardly to the position shown in Fig. l. The upward movement of link 25 causes the rod 55 fixed thereto to swing toward the right. The movement oi" this rod it causes a similar movement of the rods to the right thereofv because of the-connection through links it and common link at its other through the medium of the connecting links it 2?, the three rods on the rear side of the casing, thus causing the louvers ll carried thereby to swing to raised or closing position. Thus, by a very simple movement, the shutters are swung to closed position after the dumping operation and the drain upon the suction apparatus is discontinued.

It will be observed that instead of the open grill work formerly employed in such dumping operations where there is a constant drain upon the suction mechanism, Ihave provided extremely simple mechanism by which, with very slight effort, the operator can open the louvers, dump the containers, and close t -e louvers while going for the next load of containers. At'the same time, a minimum of mechanism is provided, the hinge rods supporting the louvers providing the grill work for the dumping operation, and the depending louvers providing deflectors for the suction pipe outlet.

Whilein the foregoing description, I have set forth in detail certain apparatus which may be employed to carry out my invention, it will be understood that the apparatus may take many other forms and employ many other details which will be obvious to those skilled in the art, withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. In suction apparatus, a casing having an open top, a suction pipe within said casing, a plurality of hinge rods rotatably secured within said casing at the top thereof forming a grill extending across the top of said casing, louvers fixedly secured to said hinge rods and extending downwardly into said casing, and means for simultaneously rotating said hinge rods and releasably locking the same in closed position, said louvers swinging to open position when released -a suction pipe within said casing and provided with an intake, and louvers hingedly secured The upward movement of link'Zt rotates the rod iii attached thereto and this rod actuates within. the topportion of said casing, at least two of said ,louvers being closely associated and providing when swung to lowered position a ole-- fieotor shield for the opening of said suction pipe intake. I 1

3. In apparatus of the character set forth, a casing, a suction pipe therein provided with a top opening, hinge rods extending across said casing, two of said hinge rods being closely spaced together above the opening of said suction pipe, louver vanes secured to said hinge rods and adapted to be swung to upper and lower positions-upon rotation of said hinge rods, the louver vanes of said closely spaced rods providing when in lowered position a baille deflector over the opening of said suction pipe, and means for rotating said hinge rods.

4. In apparatus of the class set forth, a casing, a suction pipe supported therein and communicating with the interior thereof, hinge rods extending across said casing and rotatably supported thereby, a louver fixed at one end to each of said rods and being urged by its weight downwardly to open position, link members connecting said rods, a link mechanism for actuating at least one of said rods whereby a plurality of the other rods is simultaneously actuated, said actuating means being provided with latching mechanism whereby the ro-tatably mounted rods may be locked in raised position.

5. In apparatus of the character set forth, a casing provided with a top opening, a suction pipe extending thereinto and provided with an opening in the top thereof, a plurality of rods extending across the top of said casing, some of said rods extending through the casing on one side thereof and some of said rodsextending through the casing on the opposite side thereof, links connecting the rod portions extending through the casing on each side' thereof, two of said rods being closely spaced together above the opening of said suction pipe, louvers fixed to said rods, said louvers being wider than the space between said rods, and means for rotating said rods whereby the two said closely spaced rods rotate in opposite directions, the louvers of said closely spaced rods providing a V-shaped baflle over said opening in said suction pipe when said louvers are moved to open position.

6. In suction dump apparatus of the character set forth, a casing provided with an open top, a suction pipe within said casing and provided with an intake opening extending longitudinally of the pipe, and louvers hingedly secured within the top portion of said casing, certain of said louvers providing a deflector shield for the opening of said suction pipe.

'7. In apparatus of the character set forth, a casing, a suction pipe therein provided with an intake opening extending longitudinally of said pipe, hinge rods extending across said casing, louver vanes secured to said hinge rods, and means for rotating said hinge rods, said louver vanes providing a closure above said suction pipe when said louvers are swung to open position.

8. In apparatus of the class set forth, a casing, a suction pipe supported therein and communicating with the interior thereof, hinge rods extending across said casing and rotatably supported thereby, a plurality of louvers, each of which is fixed at one end to one of said rods, said louvers when swung to raised position being in overlapping relation and tending to drop of their own weight to open position, and means for simultaneously rotating said rods to raise said louvers and to latch them in raised position.

9. In apparatus of the class set forth, a casing, a suction pipe supported therein and communicating with the interior thereof, hinge rods extending across said casing and rotatably supported thereby, a plurality of louvers, each of which has its end secured to one of said rods and being urged by its weight downwardly to open position, link means connecting said rods, and a treadle member pivotally connected to said link means and adapted to rotate said rods to raise said louvers, said treadle member being equipped with means on said casing for latching said louvers in raised position.

CLAUDE B. SCHNEIBLE. 

